Cesspool bricking machine



Dec. 27, 1955 v. GRAY ETAL 2,728,600

CESSPOOL BRICKING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l LEI- 2'! INVENTORS Dec. 27, 1955 v. GRAY ET AL CESSPOOL BRICKING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS United States Patent CESSPOGL BRICKING MACHINE Vern Gray and Richard Rutherford, Bakersfield, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to William J. Aiello, doing business as a sole proprietor under the firm name and style of Centreco, Fresno, Calif.

Substituted for application Serial No. 42,558, August 5, 1948. This application November 23, 1951, Serial No. 257,678

Claims. (Cl. 294-96) This application is a substitute application for the following abandoned application: Serial Number 42,558, filed August 5, 1948, by the same applicants for the same device and abandoned.

In the construction of cesspools, wells and other excavations which are lined with uncemented bricks and numerous types of porous materials, so placed as to permit the passage of liquid between the interstices of the lining, the conventional practice requires a brick mason to descend into the hole and to place the lining around the interior surface of the hole. Both because of the danger of falling brick and collapsing side walls, particularly in sandy soil, hazardous conditions frequently exist. By providing a hoist operated carrier or grapple on which is placed a suitable quantity of bricks in desired arrangement and which has a brick releasing mechanism operated from the surface, our device is particularly designed to eliminate the necessity for any workmen descending into the cesspool or well excavation, thus actually precluding the possibility of accidental injury to the worker.

A further object of our invention is the provision of lateral and vertical movement guides so that the sets of blocks are properly layed on top of each other and so centered in the hole that the completed lining is flush and true.

Another advantage of our machine is that the use of skilled brick masons is not required since a member of the hoist crew, operator, hole driller or others, is able to install the bricks in a considerably shorter period of time than by conventional methods thus eliminating high labor cost and materially adding to the more economical construction of badly needed housing projects.

An incidental advantage arising from the reduction of machine and labor time is that the cesspool or well contractor is enabled to greatly increase the number of jobs completed per work week, consequently reducing the lost time within which the owner is deprived of the use of essential sanitary facilities while waiting for the workmen to start and complete the bricking job.

A further advantage of our machine is that it is adaptable to cesspool or well holes of any depth or size and it is also usable for laying common brick, porous blocks or any specially constructed cesspool and well lining blocks and sectional materials.

An additional object of our invention is the elimination of the necessity for cribbing or lagging normally required for protection of the worker and the machinery from cave-ins, since with our device no worker enters the well and the cost of replacing a lost machine is comparatively small even if re-excavation is impractical following a cave-in.

An important object of our invention is to provide a device which may be constructed of readily available material and require mainly labor and machine operations ordinarily available at local machine shops. Additional objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction 2,728,600 Patented Dec. 27, 1955 with the accompanying sheets of drawings or from both as supplements of each other, wherein are set forth certain novel features of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts and functions.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings forming a part of these specifications, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a loaded grapple embodying the principal features of the present invention being lowered into a cesspool hole by a truck borne crane illustrative of suitable lowering apparatus gen erally.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the grapple.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken online 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing retractable shoes employedin the grapple in load carrying position.

Figure 4 is a partial plan view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a cross section and partial plan view taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a cross section and partial plan view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1. a

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view, taken on line 7--7 of Fig. 1.

Figure 8 is a transverse section of a lever mechanism utilized in the grapple. I

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the lever mechanism.

Referring now in detail to the drawings wherein, for purposes of illustration, are shown a preferred-embodiment of our invention, the numeral 10 indicates the extended boom of a conventional truck hoist provided with a hoisting cable 11 operated by any suitable means, not shown. The hoisting cable 11 is attached by a suspension unit 12 through rings 13 weldedto a cylindrical drum or body member 14. The top of the cylindrical drum 14 is reinforced by diametric cross braces 15 and an annular supporting ring 16 welded tothe inside thereof. At suitable substantially equally peripherally spaced locations near the top of the drum 14, brick protecting clamps 17 are adjustably secured thereto.

The clamps have elongated adjusting slots 18 therein through which locking bolts 19 are extended into the drum. The clamps are horizontally arcuately elongated to fit the periphery of the drum, as shownin Fig.1, and are substantially L-shaped in vertical section, as shown in Fig. 2, having erect plates in drum engagement providing the slots 18 and substantially horizontal outwardly extended pressure plates 20.

Numerous layers of bricks, as designated by numeral 21, are placed around the outer surface of the drum 14 and rest on retractable shoes 22 mounted'for reciprocal radial movement in the drum 14 adjacent to the bottom thereof. To the inside of the bottom portion of the drum 14 is secured a reinforcing annular ring 24, shown in Fig. 3, and a frusto-conical centering guide ring 25. At'appropriate circumferentially spaced locations in the drum 14 and the reinforcing annular ring 24 are provided slots 23 through which the retractable shoes 22 slide back'and forth. Corresponding slots and clamps are preferably substantially vertically aligned. Base plates 26 secured to the annular ring 24 and a center reinforcing support plate 28 are provided with channel shaped guides having verti cally extending webs. The base plates are also connected to the center reinforcing support plate 28. At the side edges of the base plates 26 are welded substantially inverted, L-shaped, upwardly and inwardly extended clips 29 which overlay the lateral edges of the-shoes 22 and act as guides for the shoes 22 to slide in and also as braces to prevent tipping of the shoes 22 when radially extended and loaded.

Guide slots 30 are cut in the retractable shoes 22 and receive the upstanding webs of the channel guides 27. Sliding in the channel guide 27 and attached to the retractable shoe 22 is an inwardly extended tongue 31 which terminates in an upwardly disposed detent or hook 32 suitably formed to engage a sliding dog 33. The dog 33 catches in the hook 32, as shown in Fig. 9, and when actuated by an upward movement of an elevator mechanism, soon to be described, retracts the tongue 31 and its connected shoe 22 but on a downward movement of the elevator mechanism the dog allows the retractable shoe 22 to remain in the retracted position so that the inner surface of the deposited bricks will not be scraped during the ascent of the empty machine.

The dog 33 is hingedly attached to a lever 34 which is pivotally secured by means of a hinge bar 36 working in pivot supports 35 welded to the upstanding webs of the channel guide 27. The lever 34 provides an end opposite to the dog which is attached to the end of a tie rod 37 by means of a hinge 3S and the tie rod 37 is also connected at the top by a hinge 39 to an elevator plate 40. Although the system for drawing a shoe inwardly, including the dog 33, lever 34, tie rod 37 and hinges 38 and 39, has been described in the singular, it is evident in the drawings that such a system is provided for each shoe.

To the elevator plate 40 is secured a guide bar 41 which slides in a guide tube 42 connected to the center reinforcing support plate 28. A hand rope 43 is connected to the elevator plate 40 by means of a ring 44. A double pulley 45 is secured to the guide bar 41 by a flexible coupling 46. An upper double pulley 47 is secured by a flexible coupling 48 to the cross braces 15. From the ring 44, the

hand rope 43 is threaded through the pulleys 45 and 47 in the well known manner of block and tackle to achieve mechanical advantage, as shown in Fig. 3, and is upwardly extended from the lower pulley 45 to a control position accessible from the surface of the ground by workmen employing the grapple of the present invention. Reserve length of the hand rope 43 is wound on a take-up reel 49 mounted on the boom 10.

Operation In the utilization of our bricking machine the procedure is as follows: While on the surface of the ground and after the hoisting cable 11 is attached to the drum, the retractable shoes 22 are slid out through the slots 23 to their extended positions, shown in Fig. 3, and bricks 21 are placed around the drum in successive layers in the arrangement of the bricks desired in a borehole, well, or other hole to be lined. The bottom layer is rested on the retractable shoes and successive layers or courses of bricks positioned thereon until the top of the drum 14 is approached. After the final layer is in place, the protecting clamps 17 are slid downwardly thereagainst and securely tightened so that the pressure plates contact and tightly compress the assembled bricks downwardly against the shoes 22 into a conveniently handled pack, thus preventing such loosening and knocking ch as might otherwise result from accidental contact with the inner surface of the hole during descent. The hoist is then operated so that the grapple is centered over the cesspool hole and then lowered into the hole.

When the grapple is lowered almost into place, the conical guide contacts the bottom of the hole or the upper layer of a previously deposited layer of bricks and if out of line will force the grapple over into proper position. A few inches further descent causes the bottom surfaces of retractable plates 22 closely to approach the bottom of the hole or rest on the top surface of the preceding layer of bricks. The hand rope 43 is then pulled upwardly moving the elevator plate 40 upwardly. This action, through the operation of the lever mechanism described, forces sliding dogs 33 to retract the shoes 22, as shown in Fig. 9, thus releasing the load of bricks and allowing them to settle into place on the ground or on top of those previously deposited, as the case may be.

The grapple is then pulled up to the surface where another set of bricks is loaded into place after manually extending the shoes and deposited following this same sequence of operation.

in lining a cesspool hole or well with our device, caution is used to be sure that sufficient clearance will exist between the outside surface of the layered load of bricks and the well surface to make up for any slight unevenness which may occur in drilling the cesspool or well hole, a condition more or less likely to occur in wells of unusual depth.

It will be understood that while the form of our bricking machine herein illustrated and described is to be considered as a preferred embodiment of our invention, we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction disclosed, but reserve the right to resort to and substitute various modifications and changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of our claims.

Having described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A grapple adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed layers of bricks gravitationally rested thereon in predetermined assembled relation and to release the bricks as a group in their assembled relation comprising a body member having an upper end portion, a lower end portion, and a substantially erect laterally disposed side; a substantially horizontal shoe having a flat upwardly disposed load support surface slidably mounted in the lower end portion of the body member for reciprocal rectilinear movement in a horizontal plane between a position laterally extended beneath the laterally disposed side of the body member and a position retracted into the body member, said shoe in its laterally disposed position being adapted to receive bricks stacked thereon against the laterally disposed side of the body member and to release such bricks by movement to retracted position; and means connected to the shoe operable remotely from the body member to move the shoe to retracted position.

2. A grapple comprising a body member having an upper end portion, a lower end portion, and a substantially erect laterally disposed side; a substantially horizontal shoe having a substantially flat upwardly disposed load support surface mounted for reciprocal horizontal movement in the lower end portion of the body member between a position laterally extended from the laterally disposed side of the body member and a position retracted within the body member; control means connected to the shoe operable remotely from the body member to move the shoe to retracted position; a clamp slidably mounted on the laterally disposed side of the body member adjacent to the upper end thereof for adjustable elevational movement; and means relcasably interconnecting the clamp and the body member operable to retain the clamp in adjusted elevational position on the body member.

3. A grapple comprising a body member having an upper end portion, a lower end portion, and a substantially erect laterally disposed side; a plurality of substantially horizontal shoes having substantially fiat upper surfaces mounted in horizontally spaced relation for reciprocal movements in a common horizontal plane between positions laterally extended from the laterally disposed side of the body member and positions retracted into the body member; control means operably engaged with the shoes adapted simultaneously to move the shoes to their respective retracted positions; clamps slidably mounted for adjustable elevational movement on the laterally disposed side of the body member individually in substantially vertical alignment with each of the shoes when in their respective extended positions; and means for individually releasably securing the clamps in fixed adjusted positions on the body member.

4. A grapple comprising a substantially cylindrical hollow body member having a lower end portion, an upper end portion, and a substantially erect peripheral surface; a plurality of substantially horizontal flat shoes mounted in the lower end portion of the body member in substantially equally spaced relation circumferentially of the body member for reciprocal horizontal movements radially of said body member between positions laterally extended from the peripheral surface thereof and positions retracted into said body member, the shoes each having detents upwardly extended therefrom within the body member; a clamp slidably mounted for adjustable elevational movement on the laterally disposed side of the body member in substantially vertical alignment with each of the shoes when in their respective extended positions; means for individually releasably securing the clamps in fixed adjusted positions on the body member; a plate mounted in the lower end portion of the body member; a pivot support mounted on the plate adjacent to each of the shoes; levers pivotally mounted in the pivot supports each having an outer end disposed above its respectively adjacent shoe and an opposite inner end; means on the outer ends of the' levers engageable with the detents upon upward pivotal movement of the levers to move the shoes to retracted positions; a guide tube mounted on the plate and upwardly extended therefrom substantially concentrically of the body member; a guide bar slidably mounted in the guide tube and having an upper end upwardly extended therefrom; an elevator member mounted on the upwardly extended end of the guide bar; tie rods individually interconnecting the inner ends of the levers and the elevator member whereby upward movement of the elevator member pivots the levers to move the shoes simultaneously inwardly; and means connected to the elevator member and upwardly extended therefrom operable remotely from the body member to raise the elevator member in said body member.

5. A grapple comprising a substantially cylindrical hollow body member having a lower end portion, an upper end portion, and a substantially erect peripheral surface; a plurality of substantially horizontal flat shoes mounted in the lower end portion of the body member in substantially equally spaced relation circumferentially of the body member for reciprocal horizontal movements radially of said body member between positions laterally extended from the peripheral surface thereof and positions retracted into said body member, the shoes each having detents upwardly extended therefrom within the body member; a clamp slidably mounted for adjustable elevational movement on the laterally disposed side of the body member in substantially vertical alignment with each of the shoes when in their respective extended positions; means for individually releasably securing the clamps in fixed adjusted positions on the body member; a plate mounted in the lower end portion of the body member; a pivot support mounted on the plate adjacent to each of the shoes; levers pivotally mounted in the pivot supports each having an outer end disposed above its respectively adjacent shoe and an opposite inner end; a dog connected to the outer end of each lever and engageable inwardly against the detent of its respectively adjacent shoe; a guide tube mounted on the plate and upwardly extended therefrom substantially concentrically of the body member; a guide bar slidably mounted in the guide tube and having an upper end upwardly extended therefrom; an elevator member mounted on the upwardly extended end of the guide bar; tie rods individually interconnecting the inner ends of the levers and the elevator member whereby upward movement of the elevator member pivots the levers to move the shoes simultaneously inwardly by dog engagement with the detents thereof; means connected to the upper end portion of the body member adapted for connection to a hoist to raise and to lower the body member; cross braces mounted transversely in the upper end portion of the body member; and a block and tackle connected between the cross pieces and the elevator member having a hand rope upwardly extended from the body member for operation of the block and tackle to raise the elevator member in the body member.

6. A grapple comprising an elongated body member having an upper end portion, a lower end portion, and substantially vertical laterally disposed sides; a plurality of substantially horizontal flat shoes mounted in the lower end portion of the body member in substantially equally spaced relation thereabout for reciprocal horizontal movements between positions extended outwardly from the body member and positions retracted into said body member, said shoes being adapted gravitationally to support a plurality of bricks or the like in stacked relation about the body member against the laterally disposed sides thereof; clamp means mounted on the upper end portion of the body member in adjustably spaced relation to the shoes and extended outwardly from the body member, said clamp means being adapted to clamp bricks or the like supported on the shoes in assembled relation downwardly against the shoes; means borne by the body member engaged with the clamp means for locking the clamp means in adjustably spaced relation to the shoes; means connected to the upper end portion of the body member for raising and lowering said body member; and remotely controlled cable actuated means connected to the shoes operable simultaneously to retract the shoes into the body member so as to release bricks or the like supported thereon for unitary slidable descent in assembled relation downwardly of the laterally disposed sides of the body member.

7. In a grapple, the combination of a substantially cylindrical hollow body member, a plurality of flat shoes mounted in a common plane substantially normal to the axis of the body member at an end of the body member for movement radially of said member between positions extended outwardly from the periphery of said member and positions retracted into said member, the shoes having load support surfaces disposed toward the end of the body member opposite thereto, levers individual to the shoes pivotally mounted in the body member each having an outer end disposed adjacent to its respective shoe and an opposite inner end, means on the outer ends of the levers engageable with their respective shoes upon pivotal movement of the inner ends of the levers to move the shoes to retracted positions, and remotely controlled cable actuated means connected to the inner ends of the levers adapted simultaneously and correspondingly to pivot the levers to retract the shoes.

8. A grapple comprising an elongated body member having an upper end portion, a lower end portion, and substantially vertical laterally disposed sides; a plurality of substantially horizontal flat shoes mounted in the lower end portion of the body member in substantially equally spaced relation thereabout for reciprocal horizontal movements in a common plane between positions extended outwardly from the body member and positions retracted into said body member, said shoes having upwardly disposed fiat surfaces adapted gravitationally to support a plurality of bricks or the like in stacked relation about the body member against the laterally disposed sides thereof; means connected to the upper end portion of the body member for raising and lowering said body member; levers individual to the shoes pivotally mounted in the lower end portion of the body member, each having an outer end disposed adjacent to its respective shoe and an opposite inner end; means on the outer ends of the levers engageable with their respective shoes upon upward pivotal movement of the inner ends of the levers to move the shoes to retracted positions, and remotely controlled cable actuated means connected to the inner ends of the levers adapted simultaneously and correspondingly to pivot the levers to retract the shoes.

9. A grapple comprising an elongated body member having an upper end portion, a lower end portion, and substantially vertical laterally disposed sides; a plurality of substantially horizontal flat shoes mounted in the lower end portion of the body member in substantially equally spaced relation thereabout for reciprocal horizontal movements in a common plane between positions extended outwardly from the body member and positions retracted into said body member, said shoes having upwardly disposed fiat surfaces adapted gravitationally to support a plurality of bricks or the like in stacked relation about the body member against the laterally disposed sides thereof; clamps mounted on the upper end portion of the body member in adjustably spaced relation to the shoes and extended outwardly from the body member in substantially parallel relation to the plane of the shoes, said clamps being adapted to hold bricks or the like supported on the shoes in assembled relation downwardly against the shoes; means borne by the body mem ber engaged with the clamp means for locking the clamp means in adjustably spaced relation to the shoes; means connected to the upper end portion of the body member for raising and lowering said body member; levers individual to the shoes pivotally mounted in the lower end portion of the body member, each having an outer end disposed adjacent to its respective shoe and an opposite inner end; means on the outer ends of the levers engageable with their respective shoes upon upward pivotal movement of the inner ends of the levers to move the shoes to retracted positions, and remotely controlled cable actuated means connected to the inner ends of the levers adapted simultaneously and correspondingly to pivot the levers to retract the shoes.

10. In a grapple, the combination of a substantially cylindrical hollow body member, a plurality of substantially fiat shoes mounted in a common plane normal to the axis of the body member at an end of the body member for movement radially of said member between positions extended outwardly from the periphery thereof and positions retracted into said member, the shoes having load support surfaces disposed toward the end of the member opposite thereto and inner ends providing detents upwardly extended therefrom, levers individual to the shoes pivotally mounted in the body member each having an outer end disposed adjacent to its respective shoe and an opposite inner end, dogs connected to the outer ends of the levers engageable inwardly against the detents of their respectively adjacent shoes, a guide mounted substantially concentrically in the body member, a guide bar slidably mounted in the guide and having an upper end upwardly extended therefrom, an elevated member mounted on the upwardly extended end of the guide bar, tie rods individually interconnecting the inner ends of the levers and the elevator member whereby upward movement of the elevator member pivots the lovers to move the shoes simultaneously inwardly by dog engagement with the detents thereof, and means connected to the elevator operable remotely from the body member to draw the elevator upwardly therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 167,626 Stellwagen Sept. 14, 1875 l,225,l86 Seymour May 8, 1917 1,266,653 Barlow May 21, 1918 l,4()l,95l Armstrong Jan. 3, 1922 2,610,888 Pace Sept. 16, 1952 

